Side stroking golf putter

ABSTRACT

A side stroking golf putter in which the shank portion of the shaft is connected with the putter head above one or more oppositely directed putting faces and the putter head is positioned remote from the user by a connection between the shank and the handle portions to provide the user with a completely free and unobstructed view of the putting faces of the putter head during the stroke of the golf putter and to provide the golfer with better control of the golf putter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to golf putters and more particularly toside stroking golf putters in which the putter club is swung or strokedthrough an arc along the side of the body of the user or golfer.

For better control of the golf putter or club, many well-known golfershave taken a straddling stance over the ball by positioning their legssubstantially equidistant on opposite sides of the ball thereby enablingthem to swing the putter club and its head through an arc between theirlegs much in the manner of a ball stroking swing used in playingcroquet. The ball straddling putting stance or address and thesubsequent swing are prohibited by present day rules of golf. An attemptto overcome this problem was made in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,694 toDrake in which the shaft of the club was bent to provide an aimingportion in the direction of the putt with the consequent result that theuser's or golfer's view of the putting face and ball being struck by theputter head were obstructed and obscured.

Other disclosures of putters with offset shafts or offset connectionswith the putter head, although not used in side strokinfg putters, aretaught in the following patents:

Citro, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 202,504

Ehrich, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 230,750

Stone, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 271,604

Koorland, U.S. Pat. No. 3,077,350

Skelly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,199,144

Drew, U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,429

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a true side stroking golf putter whichcomplies with present golfing rules and which provides the golfer oruser with a complete and unobstructed view of the putting head, itsputting faces, the ball, and the club throughout the putting stroke.Moreover, the club enables the golfer to assume a legally permissibleaddress to the ball during the putting stroke while assuming a stancethat is fully balanced and stable. The position of the golf putterhandle proximate or as close as possible to the side of the user orgolfer while enabling the putter head to be swung or stroked spacedorremote from the side of the golfer permits and enables the golfer topivot the club about a point that is substantially fixed in space sothat the golf club may be swung or stroked through an arcuate line thatis completely within the view of the golfer or user.

The above description, as well as further objects, features andadvantages of the present invention, will be more fully appreciated byreference to the following details description of a presently preferred,but nonetheless illustrative, embodiment in accordance with the presentinvention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawingswherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the side stroking golf putterconstructed according to the teaching of the invention and illustratingits manner of use by a right-handed golfer;

FIG. 1A is a partial perspective view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the use of the side strokinggolf putter by a left-handed putter;

FIG. 3 is a vertical side view of the golf putter constructed accordingto the invention and illustrating its swing in either direction;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged front elevational view of the details of the golfputter shown in use in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the details of the golf putter as shown inuse in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, the side stroking golf putter of thepresent invention is generally identified by the numeral 10 andcomprises a shaft that has a handle 12 at its upper portion. The handle12 may be of any conventional length and cross section or shape. In theillustration of the drawings it is shown to be round. However, thisillustration is for convenience only and is not to constitute alimitation upon the scope of the invention.

The lower end of the shaft has a shank portion 14 that is connected witha putter head 16 that may be of any desired shape and material. Theillustration of the putter head 16 in the form of a blade in thedrawings is made solely to enable a ready and easy explanation of theinvention and is not to be considered a limitation upon its scope. Asshown, the putter head 16 may be multi-sided and will have at least oneputting face 18. In practice, the present invention is sufficientlyunique in its teaching as to enable the putter head 16 to be made withtwo putting faces 18 and 20. Each putting face will be on the oppositesides of the putting head and will face in opposite directions to enablethe putter 10 to be used with equal ease and facility by both right andleft-handed golfers or users. This versatility is clearly illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2, FIG. 3, and FIGS. 4 and 5.

The putter head 16 may be of any thickness that will enable the shankportion 14 of the golf club shaft to be fixedly connected or joined tothe same between the putter faces 18 and 20 without obstructing orinterfering with the same or with a view of such faces. When the shank14 is joined together with the putter head 16, it may be centrallymounted to the same both between the faces 18 and 20 and along theelongations of the putting faces so as to be positioned at substantiallythe center of the mass of the putter head 16 to thereby concentrate thepower and force of the putting stroke against a golf ball 26 addressedby the putter.

As can be seen from the drawings, the handle 12 and the verticallyextending shank portion 14 of the putter shaft are out of alignment witheach other so that the shank portion 14 is positioned more remote orspaced from the golfer or user while the handle portion 12 is positionedalongside and closer to the same or adjacent side of the user. This isdone to enable the user to stroke the golf putter 10 smoothly and tomove it through a line or regular arc 24 without hesitation much in thesame manner as the club head 16 and its faces 18 and 20 would be strokedif the ball 26 were straddled by the golfer.

To retain the handle and shank portions 12 and 14 in their relativelyspaced non-aligned relationship with the handle portion closer inposition to the golfer and the shank portion more remotely spaced fromthe side of the golfer, the side stroking putter shaft includes aconnecting portion 28 that connects the two portions 12 and 14 together.The connecting portion 28 is shown formed as an integral monolithiccontinuation of and substantially perpendicular to the two portions 12and 14 and extends from the .[.vertically.]. extending handle portion 12in a direction outward or away from the golfer toward its connection andjointure with the shank portion 14. Described in the alternative, thehandle portion 12 is positioned alongside of and closer to the adjacentside of the golfer or user for better control of the club while theconnecting portion 28 positions the shank portion 14 and club head 16more remote or spaced from the golfer to provide a complete andunrestricted observation of its movement.

In practice it may be possible to form all such portions 12, 14, and 28as separate elements and to join them together as integral coextensionsof each other with no separations therebetween. However, at present ithas been found that the same may be made of monolithic construction sothat none of the turns or bends of any of the portions is weaker thanany of the others.

The connection portion 28 is bent in the direction of the elongation ofthe putter head 16 toward the body of the golfer and is spacedthereabove to be exactly or at least substantially in line with thesame. The alignment of the connecting portion 28 and the elongated bodyof the putting head 16 with each other assures that when the putter 10is viewed from the top thereof the connecting portion 28 and the top ofthe putter head 16 appear as the same structure. However, when theconnecting portion 28 is of less thickness than that of the putter head16, the golfer or user is provided with an even better view of both theconnecting portion and the aligned head therebeneath.

Therefore, it is desirable and suggested that the thickness of the topof the head 16 and the connecting portion 28 be either of the samethickness or that the connecting portion 28 be thinner than that of thehead 16. By so doing, the golfer is presented with a view of both theconnecting portion 28 in alignment with the putter head 16 directlybeneath, both of which are free of obstruction of the other and both ofwhich provide the golfer with a view of its putting faces 18 and 20 freeof any obstruction. Thus, the golfer is provided with a full andunobstructed view of the putting head, its putting faces and of the ball26 as well as the full length of the golf club 10 during the address andduring the movement of the golf shaft during the putting stroke.

In practice, the putter 10 is placed with its face 18 or 20, as the casemay be for a right or left-handed golfer, flat against the ball 26. Theface 18 or 20 is generally positioned perpendicular to the line of arc24 that is normally aligned with the cup 34, assuming that the lie ofthe putting green is flat and level.

The user of the present side stroking golf putter 10 may stand with hisor her two feet 30 and 32 pointed in the direction of the golf cup 34with the feet positioned substantially on the same line 36. It is notedthat some golfers may feel more comfortable by positioning one footfurther ahead of the other in the direction of the golf cup 34. In theillustration of the drawing the two feet are shown positionedsubstantially evenly on the line 36. This should not be deemed to be alimitation on the scope of the invention. No matter how the golferstands and no matter which foot may be positioned forward or behind theother, the same is well within the golf rules as presently promulgated.

The golf user then strokes the club 10 by holding it in a fixed pivotformed by the topmost hand 38. The topmost hand grips either the verytop of the handle 12 of the club or the side of the handle to hold theclub in the fixed pivot. This permits the lower hand 40 to stroke orback swing the club 10 rearward initially and then to stroke it forwardto strike against the ball 26 while it is moved precisely along its lineof arc 24. During such rearward and forward stroking movements, thegolfer is continuously provided with a full and free and unobstructedview of the golf club shaft and all of its attendant details includingthe ball to be struck thereby. It will be noted from the illustrationsin FIGS. 1 and 2 that the golfer is able to oversee fully both the fixedpivot hand 38 and to sight down along the golf club to the point ofimpact of the putter face 18 or 20 with the golf ball 26. This isenabled by the positioning of the handle portion 12 of the golf shaft asclose as possible to the side of the golfer at which the putting strokeis performed.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out thefundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferredembodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions andsubstitutions and changes in the form and details of the deviceillustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the artwithout departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention,therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claimsappended hereto.

What is claimed is:
 1. A side stroking double-faced golf putter forswinging front and rear along the sides of the body in the direction ofthe length of the feet of the user comprising a head having elongatedputting faces in opposite directions on said head for putting inopposite directions,a shaft connected with said head to move the samethrough a putting swing in the opposite directions of said puttingfaces, said shaft having an elongated .[.vertical.]. single handleportion for swinging the head in the opposite directions of said facesand a relatively shorter vertical shank portion connected with the headproximate the center of the length of the head above and centrallybetween said elongated putting faces and spaced remote from andnon-aligned with said handle in a direction away from the side of thebody of the user, and said shaft having a connection portion offset fromand substantially perpendicular to said vertical shank portionconnecting said non-aligned shank and handle portions together invertical spaced non-aligned relationship with said handle portion closerto the side of the body of the user than said shank portion, saidconnection portion being spaced remote from said handle portion andadjacent to said head and aligned with and between said elongatedputting faces.
 2. A golf putter as in claim 1,said connecting portionbeing disposed horizontal in the direction of the elongated puttingfaces toward and away from the side of the user of the putter so thatthe non-aligned shank and handle portions provide the user with anunobstructed view of the putting face.
 3. A golf putter as in claim2,said putting head being substantially blade shaped with said elongatedputting faces each on opposite and relatively spaced sides thereof andextending for the length thereof for putting by right and left-handedgolfers.
 4. A golf putter as in claim 1,said connecting portion beingdirected substantially in line with and spaced above said putter headand spaced away from said shank connection with said putter head toposition said putter head a distance more remote from the side of thebody of the golfer than said handle to provide the golfer with anunobstructed view of the putting face.